Penn State Football Pregame Notes: Teammates Honor Mauti by Wearing Number on Helmet

Greetings from nippy Beaver Stadium, where the wind is howling and the fans are bundled up in coats, scarves and blankets.

It’s Senior Day, where 31 Penn Staters and their families will be honored pregame before the Nits clash with Bucky. It’s believed to be the first time families have been honored with the seniors on the field, and there are a few other changes around the stadium as well.

Perhaps most noticeable will be the blue No. 42s on the left side of the helmet today in honor of senior linebacker Mike Mauti, who is out with a left knee injury.

“He loves Penn State and he loves his teammates, so it's a difficult thing for him personally,” O’Brien said earlier this week. “And I've been around that. I've seen Tom Brady have that knee injury, Wes Welker have — for guys that live and breathe the game, it's a difficult thing to deal with.”

There’s also a white banner hanging on the wall of the luxury suites on the east side of the stadium, where the years of championships, undefeated and other meaningful seasons are displayed. Looks like 2012 is joining the fray.

Finally, and much less noticeable, are blue and white sheets of paper that outline two Penn State logos bookending the phrase “One Team” in the student section.

It will be a senior moment 30 minutes before kickoff against Wisconsin today in Beaver Stadium. In fact, there will be 31 of them.

That’s when the leaders of the 2012 Penn State football team will honored for their extraordinary contributions and commitments on and off the field in what has been the most challenging collegiate season ever.